Syria

Barrack: US Will Back Israeli Withdrawal if Hezbollah Disarms

According to MTV, United States Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack informed Lebanese officials, during his visit to Beirut on June 19, that a government’s public commitment to disarming Hezbollah would significantly advance the issue of Israeli withdrawal from the five hills at the border. This effort, he asserted, would ...

Syria Arrests Assad-Era Air Force Officer Under EU, UK Sanctions

Syria's interior ministry said Wednesday a former air force officer who is under British and EU sanctions had been detained, the latest such arrest announcement since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's ouster. Authorities in the Harasta area outside Damascus "arrested the criminal pilot Major General Meezar Sawan," the ministry said in a ...

Syria Arrests General Linked to Infamous 'Checkpoint of Death'

Syrian authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of General Mowafaq Nadhir Haidar, former commander of the Syrian regime’s 3rd Armored Division, notorious for his role at the infamous Qatifa checkpoint, known by locals as the “Checkpoint of Death.” The checkpoint, located along the Damascus-Homs highway near the division's headquarters, ...

Controlled Detonation Behind Loud Blast in Damascus

A loud blast heard in Damascus on Tuesday was caused by a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance by authorities, Syria's official SANA news agency reported. "The explosion heard a short while ago in the vicinity of the capital resulted from the detonation of war remnants by the competent authorities," SANA said on messaging network ...

EU Reaffirms Support for LAF Ahead of Key Partnership Council

Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji received assurances on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) will continue its support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), amid growing regional tensions and internal challenges. The pledge came during a phone call between Minister Rajji and EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Partnership Dubravka ...

Shadowy Extremist Group Claims Damascus Church Attack

A little-known Sunni Muslim extremist group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a weekend suicide attack on a Damascus church, as the city mourned those killed. Sunday's attack killed 25 people and wounded dozens, striking terror into Syria's Christian community and other minorities. A statement from Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said an operative ...

Interceptor Debris Sparks Fire in Bint Jbeil

A fire broke out Monday morning between Majdal Selm and Khirbet Selm, in the Bint Jbeil district of South Lebanon, after debris from an interceptor missile fell in the area. The blast was felt in several towns across the region, with residents reporting loud explosions that fueled fears among the population. Such incidents have become ...

Damascus Church Attack Draws International Condemnations

The suicide bombing of a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus during Sunday mass, killing at least 20 people, drew strong international condemnations.  The attack was the first known suicide bombing in the Syrian capital since December, when a rebel coalition ousted Syria’s autocratic president, Bashar al-Assad. EU The EU on Monday condemned as ...

ISIS Suicide Bomber Kills At Least 22 and Injures 59 at Saint Elias Church in Damascus

A shooting and suicide bombing at a Damascus church during a packed service on Sunday killed at least 22 people, authorities said, blaming a member of the Islamic State group for the unprecedented attack. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler ...

ISIS Suicide Bomber Attacks Church in Damascus, Killing at Least 22

The Syrian Interior Ministry reported on Sunday that a member of the Islamic State (ISIS) carried out a suicide bombing at St. Elias Church in Damascus. The attacker opened fire before detonating an explosive belt, killing at least 20 people and injuring others, according to emergency services.